
:^iii^, 



1 



# 




I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. # 



[SMITHSONIAN DEPOSIT.] 



.^AJ/ 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, f 



THE 



BY-LAWS 



AND 



Certificate of Incorporation, 



OF THE 



Long Island Historical Society. 



"-7 



-^'t:^^??' 



THE 



BY-LAWS 



AND 



Certificate of Incorporation, 



OP THE 



Long Island Historical Society. 



I 



BROOKLYN : 

PRINTED FOR T in-; s O ( ' 11-: T Y 

M DCCC; LXTII, 

>VJ!f 






96o 



LONG ISLAND TITSTORTCAL SOCIETY. 



At a nieetino; of the Board of Directors, held on the 12th of Novemljer, 
mV^, it was 

Resolved, Tliat one thousand copies of the Certificate of Incorporation, By- 
Laws, List of Members, etc., be published and distributed, under the direc- 
tion of the Chairman of the Executive Committee and the Lil)rarian. 



Alt<'st, 



A. COOKE HULL, 

Recording Secretary. 



'The Union'' Stram Frflirs, lO Front Strr/t. 



rtii^tx^ 



LONG ISLAND llI8TOUJ(JAL SOCIETY, 



J. CAR80N BREYOORT 
JOHN GREENWOOD. 

CHARLES E. AYEST. 

J^omgn (iLorrcsponbmg ^m'^targ, 
HENRY" C. MURPHY. 

pome (lLori-cs|jonDntg ^rtrctarg, 
JOHN WINSLOAY. 

lUtarbing ^ecrctarg, 
A. COOKE HULL. 

CHARLES CONGDON. 

ITibraiian, 
HENRY^ R. STILES. 



^ittrtor^. 



First Class, 1S63. 

Charles Congdon, 
RoswELL Graves, 
Thomas W. Field, 
A. ( o(^KE Hill, M.D., 
J. M. \^\x CoTT. 



Secmid Class, 1864. 

John IIarold, 
George W, Parsox!>, 
A. J. Spooner, 
John AVixslow, 
E D w akd W ar k en . 



Third Class, 1865. 

EtH ELBERT S. MiLLS. 

K. S. Storks, Jr., D.D., 
Henry \l. Stills, M.D., 
A. X. LnTLE.TOHx, D.D., 
Charles E. West, LL.L)., 



Foiirth Class, 1866. 

Hox. John Greenwood, 
Henry P. Hedges, 
Hon. Henry^ C. MuRruY, 
William Poole, 
Henry Sheldon. 



Fifth Class, 1867. 

J. Carson Brevoort. 
W. I. Budington, D.D., 
Eli as Lewis, Jr., 
TiiEo. L. Mason, M.D., 
Henry E. Pierrepont. 



Hon. John A. Lorr, 
Francis Yinton, D.])., 
Teunis G. Bkkgkx, Etsy., 

Wm. Cullen Bryant, Enii.. 
Hon. John A. King, 
Rich. C. McCormick, Esq., 

Hon. Selah B. Strong, 
Hon. J. Lawrence Smith, 
Wm. S. Pelletreau, Esq., 



kings Countij. 
Queens County. 
Suffolk County. 



Each of the three Counties on Lon^ Islard is entitled t(j tliree Counsellors, 
to aid and advise in the Government of the tSociety. 



K. S. Storrs, Jr., D.D., Chairman. 

J. M. Tan Coti, 

A. J. Spooner, 

Ethelbert S. Mills. 

George W. Parsons, 

Henry Sheldon, 

Edward Warren, Secretary. 

The Officers of the Society are members, ex-offido, of the Executive Com 
mittee. 






Regis Gignoux, 
Jared p. Flagg, D.D. 
Hon. Harmanus B. Duryea, 
R. W. Hubbard, 
Gordon L. Ford, 
Edward Whitehouse, 
Elbert S. Porter, D.D. 

The President, Librarian, Chairman of Executive Committee, and Conn, 
sellors, are members, ex-offido, of the Committee on Fine Arts. 



The first movement towards the formation of this Society was the 
issuing of the following circular : 

Brooklyn, February I4:ih, 18()8. 

Sir : The time has arrived when the City of Brooklyn should found 
and foster institutions — religious, historical, literary, seientitie, edu- 
cational, and humanitarian — beyond the scope of former undertakings. 
As one of these, a Historical Society, associated with our peculiar geo- 
graphical position, naturally suggests itself. We propose to establish 

"THE LONG ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY." 

The threefold Indian,. Dutch, and English history of the Island is 
full of interest, and there are, doubtless, concealed treasures in each 
department which will be developed by research and inquir}\ 

By calling out the recollections of the living, who will soon pass 
away, drawing public records and private writings from their con- 
cealment, having a fit place for the collection and deposit of trophies, 
memorials, and historic materials, and also for conversations and lec- 
tures upon Historic topics, it cannot be doubted that much valuable 
knowledge will be saved and communicated which would otherwise 
be irretrievably lost. 

It is proposed to establish, first, a library and repository of books, 
documents and manuscripts, memorials, trophies, and pictures. For 
this purpose, all persons are requested to favor us with any appro- 
priate material in their possession, either by gill or (^n deposit. 

It is also proposed to encourage lectures upon Historic and kindred 
topics. 



Without t'lu'thcr dov('loping our plans and oljjccts in this (;ireuhir, 
we invite your attendance at the rooms of the Hamilton Literary 
Association, Hamilton Buildings, corner of Court and Joralemon 
streets, Brooklyn, (the door nearest the corner), on tlie evening of 
Tuesday, March 3rd, ISCui, at 8 o'clock, to take measures to organize 
the Societv. 



Henry C. Murphy, 
Aluen J. Spooner, 
John Greenwood, 
John Winslow, 
J. M. Van Cott, 



Y Jihif/f? County. 



J 



R. C. McCoRMicK, Jr., / ^, ^ 

H. Onderdonk, Jr., f ^"''''' ^^''^'^y- 

Henry P. Hedges, 

Suffolk County. 

At a meeting, held pursuant to the above call, at the time and 
place above mentioned, Prof. Cbas. E. West was appointed Chair- 
man, and Ellas Lewis, Jr., Secretary. 

After a free and friendly interchange of views among those present, 
it was, on motion of A. J. Spooner, Esq., 

^^ Resolved, That the time has arrived when Brooklyn, as the third 
city in the Union, and Long Island, as the geographical region with 
which it is connected, should found and establish, and this meeting 
does found and establish, the ' Long Island Historical Society,' whose 
objects shall be to discover, procure, and preserve whatever may re- 
late to general history, to the natural, civil, ecclesiastical, and literary 
history of the United States, the State of New York, and, more par- 
ticularly, of the counties, cities, towns, and villages of Long Island." 

On motion of Hon. John Greenwood, a committee was also ap- 
pointed to prepare a Constitution and By-Laws for the Society. 

At the next meeting, held on the evening of the 10th of March, the 
above named Constitution and By-Laws were reported and adopted ; 
and all present, thirty-one in number, enrolled themselves as members 
of the Society. 

At the next meeting, on the 30th of March, the Committee of 
Membership reported that one hundred and fifty-eight gentlemen had 



signifiofl thoir desire to become members of the Society since the first 
meetini^ of March Brd, and. on motion of Hon. John Greenwood, it 
was nnanimously 

'■ Resolved, Tliat a committee of seven persons, of whom the Chair, 
man of this meeting shall be one, be appointed by the Chair with 
power to cause a proper Certifiwite of Incorporation of this Society to 
be prepared, witli the names of sucli persons as they may deem most 
suitabk^ for the first Board of Directors, provided for by the Constitu- 
tion, adojited at a former mcetiiiij, and to cause such Certificate to ])e 
fded, j»ursuant to the Ivcviscd Statutes of this State.'' 

Tlie ctriianizalioii of the Society being thus completed, it was for 
mally inaugurated, by an address delivered on the evening of May 
7th, in the Academy of Music, by R. S. Storrs, Jr., D.D., on the 
"Life, Character, and Services of the late Gen. O. M. Mitchell." 

The new Rooms of the Society, in the Hamilton Buildings, corner 
of Court and Joralemon streets, were formally opened to the mem- 
bership and to the public, on the evening of the 4th of June ; and the 
occasion was graced by a large and highly intelligent audience, which 
was agi-eeably entertained by eloquent and appropriate addresses fi-om 
several distinguished citizens of Brooklyn. 



Since that date, the progress of the Society, in the acquisition of 
literary treasures, as well as in the increase of its membership and 
its conseipient influence, has been rapid and brilliant to a degree hith- 
erto unequaled in the history of similar institutions. Its roll of 
members, already numbering more than 400. is rapidly increasing by 
the addition of a class of citizens whose character, social position, and 
hiirh eultivati(Mi, form a sure guarantee of the future prosperity and 
|>ermanence of the Soeiety, Its Lil)rary, now in the sixth month of 
its existence, comprises (principally by donation) more than 9,000 dis- 
tinct works, of which over 5.000 are bound volumes ; the whole form- 
iiiir a collection of rare interest and value, and in some departments 
already superior to any other collection in the State. The liberality of 
several of our well-known citizens has further secured the foundation, 
on a l>road and lil)eral basis, of certain special departments of histo- 
rical! research, and has also adorned the walls with the attractions 
of several fine portraits, paintings, rte. 

Ill short, so munificent has hccii the sfcnerositv of the members and 



friends of the Society, that, within half a year from its eonimence- 
nient, the Lil)rary has become totally inadecjuate for the accommo- 
dation of the books, curiosities, etc, which h.ivc heeii accumulated; 
and the Executive Committee have accordingly secured three larf^e 
adjoining apartments, which will shortly be added to the present 
rooms, and which will afibrd a large amount of ndditional book-room. 

Since the opening of our Rooms, the following addresses and origi- 
nal papers have been read before the Society : 

June Wth. In the chapel of the Packer Institute, An Oration on " Tlu- 
Annals of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations," hv 
Rev. Francis Vinton, D.D. ; accompanied by a hi-iliiant Poem, 
by George W. Curtis, Esq. 

July 4:th. In the Academy of Music, An Oi-ation, by Grenville Tudor 
Jenks, Esq. 

Sept. 4fJf. At a County meeting, held at Hempstead, L. I., a Paper, 
on " Experiences in Charleston, S. C, in the earlier part of the 
Rebellion, and as U. S. Consuf at the Bahamas, during the 
first two years of the War," ]jy Capt. Samuel Whiting ; also, 
a " Memoir of Timothy Clowes, L.L.D., of Hempstead, L. [.." 
by Alden J. Spooner, Esq. 

Sept. 24ih. At a special meeting of the Society, a Paper entitled 
•' Personal Recollections of Aaron Burr, and some of his Con- 
temporaries of the New York Bar," by the Hon. John Green- 
wood. 

Oct. 9th. A Conversational meeting. Subject: " The Indian History 
of Long Island." 

JVov. 2d. At a regular pieeting of the Society, a Paper on " Long 
Island," by Wm. Alfred Jones, Esq., Librarian of Columbia 
College, New York. 

JVov. lOih. In the chapel of the Packer Institute, the first of a series 
of six Lectures, to be delivered on successive Tuesday even- 
ings, on " The Fall of Rome," by the Rev. John Lord. 

Dec. ^rd. At a regular meeting of the Society, in the chapel of the 
Packer Institute, a Paper on " The Battle of Long Island," by 
Henry B. Dawson, Esq., of Morrisania, N. Y. 



2 



10 



t'^crtificntc of '^ncorporntron. 



Wi', tlic sul)scril>ers, liereby certity, tliat we have associated 
ourselves in [»nrsuance of Title YL, Cliap. XVIII. of Part I., 
of tlie Revised Statutes of tlie State of Xew York, for the 
[)iiri»ose of ])r<)ni(>tincr Historical Science. The name l)y which 
the Society is to he known, is *' The Long Island Historical 
Society." 

The particular husiuess and ohjects of the said Society are 
to discover, procure, and ju*eserve whatever may relate to gen- 
eral history, to the natural, civil, literary, and ecclesiastical 
history of the ITnited States, the State of Kew York, and, 
more particularly, of the counties, cities, towns, and villages 
of Long Island. The nund^er of the Directors of the said 
Society is to be twenty-five, and the names of the Directors 
for the first year are as follows, viz : d. Carson Brevoort, Hen- 
ry C. Murphy, John Greenwood, Charles E. AYest, Richard S. 
Storrs, Jr., Henry E. Stiles, Alden J. Spooner, Ethelbert S. 
Mills, John Winslow, Henry Sheldon, Charles A. Townsend. 
A. Cooke Hull, Joshua M. Yan Cott, George W. Parsons, 
Koswell Graves, Theodore L. Mason, Edward AYarren, Charles 
Congdon, Henry El. Pierrepont, William I. Budington, Thomas 
W. Field, John Harold, Henry P. Hedges, Elias Lewis, Jr., 
and William Poole. 

The business of this Society is to be conducted, and its place 
of business to be located in the City of Brooklyn, in the Coun- 
ty of Kings. 

Charles E. West, 
J. Greenwood, 
Geo. W. Parsons. 
A. Cooke Hull, 
E. S. Mills. 



J)(fUf7 Brool-lijii, April '2. ISr^.S. 



County of Kings, Cnv of P)Rookta'n, S''^.: 

On this second day of April, 18()8, before me personally 
appeared Chas. E. West, J. Greenwood, A. Cooke Hull, Geo. 
W. Parsons, K. S. Mills, to ww known to be the persons des- 



11 



cribed in, and who executed the foregoing (•ertiti(,*ate, and tlicy 
severally acknowledged that they executed the same. 

John Winslow, Wotary Pnhlu'. 

I hereby approA'e of, and consent to, the filing of the witliln 
Certiiicate in the office of the Secretary of the State, and in 
the office of the Clerk of the County of Kings, in tliQ State (jf 
]^ew York. April (i 1863. 

Jonx A. LoTT, 

Justice of Supreme Courts residing in Second Judicial District. 

Filed in the offic^e of the Secretary of State, and in the office 
of the Clerk of the Comity of Kings, April 6, 1863. 



^^'^k\m 



LONG ISLAND IIISTOFJCAL SOCIETY. 



NAME. 

L The name of tlii^ Society is, ^' The Long Ishiiid Histori- 
cal Society. "' 

OBJECT. 

IL The ()l)ject of the Society is to discoyer, procure, and 
preserye whateyer may relate to general history, especially 
to the natural, ci\'il, literary, and ecclesiastical history of t-he 
Ignited States, the State of New York, and more particularly 
of the counties, to^yns, and yillages of Long Island. 

u i: M B E K s . 

III. The Society sliall consist of Resident, Corresponding, 
and Honorary memhers. Resident members shall be persons 
residing on Long Island. CV)rresponding and Honorary mem- 
l)ers shall be i)ersons residing elsewhere; and not more than 
twelye Honorary members shall be elected in any one year. 
Resident nicinlicr-. ujxni remoying from Long Island, and on 
giving notice thereof to the Recording Secretary, shall there- 
after be (N)rres])on(ling members; and, in like manner, Cor- 
res])on(ling members, u})on coming to reside on Long Island, 
shall cease to be (Corresponding members, and, upon giying 
the like notice, shall thereafter be Resident members. 



18 

The Clerks of the several counties of Loii<>: Ishiiid shall l)e 
ineinbers, ex-ojficlo. 

FEES AND 1) r i: s . 

ly. Each Resident member shall, on admission, pay fi\e 
dollars as an initiation fee, and three dollars as dues for the cur- 
rent year; and annually, thereafter, three dollars as dues; or, 
in lieu thereof, a Life-membership fee of twenty-live dollars, 
as a commutation for all regular dues. Should any Resident 
member, other than a Life member, fail to pay the said fees 
and dues for two years successively, or at any time refuse to 
pay the same, the Executive Committee shall erase his name 
from the list of members, and he shall no longer be a member 
of the Society. 

GOVERNMENT ELECTION OF DIKECTOKS. 

y. The government of the Society shall be vested in a Board 
of twenty-live Directors ; to be chosen by the Society, as here- 
inafter provided, by ballot, on the first Thursday of May of 
each year, of which election notice shall be given in at least 
two papers, printed on Long Island. 

At a meeting of the Directors, to be held on the 16th of 
April, 1863, the Directors sliall proceed to divide themselves 
by lot, into live equal classes, to be denominated First, Second, 
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Classes respectively. Such classiii- 
cation shall be made as follows : The names of the Director^-, 
written upon separate slips of paper, shall be placed in a box. 
and in another box shall be placed an equal number of slijjs, 
upon five whereof shall be written the words '' First Class,'' 
upon another five the w^ords "Second Class," upon another 
five the words " Third Class," upon another five the Avords 
" Fourth Class," and upon the remaining five the words " Fifth 
Class." 

The President shall then proceed to draw from the box con- 
tainino- the names of the Directors the name of one Director, 



I 



14 

and tVoiii the l)o\ eontaiiiiiig the iiuinbers of the chisses, in like 
niaiiiier, a slip; and the Director whose name is i^o drawn, 
shall he deemed to belong to the class inscribed upon the slip 
drawn witji his name. The President shall proceed in like 
manner until the Directors shall have all been classified. The 
Directors of the iirst class shall hold their offices for one year, 
those of the second class for two years, those of the third class 
for three years, those of the fourth class for four years, and 
those of the tifth class for live years. 

At the regular meeting of the Society, to be held on the first 
Thursday of May, 1S()4, there shall be held an election for five 
Directors to fill tlie places of the Directors of the first class, 
whose term shall then expire ; and annually thereafter an elec- 
tion shall be held for five Directors to fill the place of those 
whose term of office shall then expire ; and all Directors elect- 
ed at said election in 1864:, and thereafter, shall hold their 
office for five years. Any Director appointed to fill a vacancy, 
shall hold his office for the balance of the unexpired term of 
the person to whose place he shall be so appointed. 

In case any election for Directors shall not be lield at the 
time above appointed, such election may be held at the next 
regular meeting of the Society, or at any special meeting called 
for that ])urpose, in the manner herein before mentioned ; and 
the Directors elected at such meeting shall hold their offices 
for the same terms as if thev had been elected at the meeting 
at which such election should have taken place. 

The Directors shall have custody of all l)uildings, funds, 
securities, and collections, belonging to the Society ; shall fix 
all salaries to be paid to its officers ; and shall have in their 
hands the entire control and regulation of its affairs, in the 
intervals between the Annual Meetings. They shall fill vacan- 
cies occurring in the Board during the year; and shall meet 
on the second Thursday of May in each year, and as much 
oftener as they shall deem necessary, or shall be called together 
by the President or Exe('utive Committee. The Directors mny 
declare the place of any member of the Board vacant ^vho shall 



15 

be absent from three successive meetings of tlie Board without 
sending a reasonable excuse therefor to the Recording Secretar^ . 

ELECTION OF MEMBERS. 

Yl. Members shall be elected as follows : The candidates 
shall be proposed publicly at a meeting of the Society, l)y a 
member thereof, and the nominations, together witli the name 
of the mend)er making them, shall be entered on the mimites, 
and be referred to the Executive Committee. The Reports of 
that C'ommittee, recommending candidates for election, shall 
be openly read to the Society, at a meeting subsequent to that 
at which the nominations w^ere made ; and if any member de- 
mand a ballot, the election shall be by ballot, and five black 
balls shall exclude. If no ballot be demanded, the candidates 
so recommended shall be declared duly elected members of the 
Societv. 

Members may also be elected by the Board of Directors : and 
Corresponding or Honorary members, may, by a unanimous 
vote of the Board, be elected without a pre^dous nomination. 

All certificates of membersliip sliall ])e signed by tlie Presi- 
dent and by the Secretaries. 

OFFICEKS. 

YII. The Officers of the Society, except the Counsellors, 
shall hereafter be elected annually, on the first Mojiday of 
May, 1864, by the Board of Directors, from their own num- 
ber, and shall be : 

A President, 

A First Yice-President, 

A Second Yice-President, 

A Foreign Corresponding Secretary, 

A Home Corresponding Secretary. 

A Recording Secretary, 

A Treasurer, 

A Librarian, and 

An Executive Committee, of seveii members. 



16 

Tlie Oitioers ot' the Society sluill be, e.v-officio, members of tlie 
Executive Committee ; and five members thereof shall consti- 
tute a quorum. 

r (^ r N s E L L (^ K s . 

YIII. There sliall also be Nine Counsellors, who, for the 
first year, sliall be elected by the Directors, and annually there- 
after by the Society; three of whom sliall be residents of Kings 
County, three of Queens County, and tln-ee of Suffolk (\)unty. 

It shall be the duty of the Counsellors to consult and advise 
with the Society, and with the .Directors, as to the best means 
of promotin<i^ tlie objects of tlie Society ; and for that purpose 
they may attend the meetiuirs of tlie Directors, and take ])art 
in their discussions, but shall not be entitled to a v(^te. 

The Counsellors shall also be, r,r-oJfirio^ members of the (Com- 
mittee on Fine Arts. 

rOMMITTEK ON THE FIXE ARTS. 

IX. The President, Librarian, and Chairman of tlie Execu- 
tive Committee, together with seven other membei's, to be ap- 
pointed annually by the President, shall constitute a standing 
committee, to be called '' The Connnittee on Fine Arts.'' 

A N N r A L MEETING. 

X. The Society shall hold an Annual Meeting on the first 
Thursday of May, ISII-J-, and in each and every year there- 
after, at which an election of five Directors and nine Coun- 
sellors, by ballot, shall take place. In such election, a plurality 
of Votes given shall determine the choice. 

At this Annual Meeting, ji Report shall be presented by the 
Board of Directors, of all the business which they have trans- 
acted in the })receding year, and of all the property of the 
SiK'iety under their charge ; which Report shall be entered in 
full on the permanent Rectords of the Society. 



17 



STATED AXI) SPECIAL MEETINGS. 

XI. The Society shall meet statedly for literary exercises, 
and for the nomination and election of new memhers, at its 
Library, on the first Thursday in every montli, exceptino; July 
and August, unless otherwise specially ordered. But tlu^ 
President, or in his absence eitlier of tlie Vice-Presidents, 
may, and upon the written request of any nine memljers, 
three of whom shall be Directors, shall call a Special Meeting, 
giving three days' notice thereof, to be puldished in at least 
two public newspapers printed on Long Island. 

ORDER OF BUSINESS. 

XII. At the Stated Meetings of the Society, the following 
shall he the order of exercises : 

1. The reading of the minutes of the last meeting. 

2. (Communications from officers of the Society, or from the 

Board of Directors. 

3. Election of members previously proposed. 

4. I^omination of new members. 

5. Papers read, and addresses delivered, before the Society. 

But at the Annual Meeting, the Report of the Board of 
Directors, the election of Directors and Counsellors for the 
ensuing term, and the transaction of Miscellaneous Business, 
shall follow the nomination «jf new members, and precede the 
reading of papers. 

Q U O R IT M . 

XIII. At all meetings of the Society, twenty-one members 
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of lousiness. 

PRESIDING OFFICER. 



XIY. The President, or in his absence one of the Vice- 
Presidents, or in their absence a Chairman, />/y> tnnpore, shall 
preside at all meetings of the Directors and of the So(;iety, 

3 



18 

and shall have a oastini^ vote. I To shall ]">reserve order, and 
shall decide all (|iie>tioiis of order, siihject to an appeal. Tie 
shall also appoint all coniniittees authorized by the Directors, 
or hy the Society, nnless otherwise specially ordered. 

CORRESPONDING SECRETARIES. 

Xy. The Corresponding Secretaries- shall condnct the gen- 
eral correspondence of the Society. They shall, at every 
meeting of the Society, rei)ort such letters and coniniunica- 
tions as they may have received ; they shall prepare all letters 
to be written in connection with the business or objects of the 
Society, and transmit the same ; but the Executive C'onnnittee 
may appoint a committee to prepare a letter or letters, on any 
special occasion. They shall keep, in suitable books, to be 
provided for that purpose, true copies of all letters written on 
behalf of the Society ; and shall carefully preserve said copies, 
with the originals of all letters and communications received, 
and shall dep<^sit the same in the Library. 

The duties of the Foreign Corresponding Secretary shall be 
limited to the correspondence with individuals or associate 
bodies in foreign countries; and those of the Home Corres- 
ponding Secretary shall, in like manner, be conlined to the 
United States ; except that, in the absence of either of these 
ofHcers, or during a vacancy in either office, the duties thus 
left unfultilled shall devolve upon the other (Corresponding 
Secretary^ until such absence shall terminate, or the vacancy 
be supplied. 

RECORDING SECRETARY. 

XYI. The Recording Secretary shall have the charge of the 
Seal, Charter, By-Laws, and Records of the Directors and the 
Society. He, together with the presiding officer, shall certify 
all acts of the Directors and of the Society. He shall notify 
all members of their election, and of such other matters as 
shall be directed by the Society or Directors, and shall trans- 
mit to them their pro])er di])lomas or certificates of member- 



1*1 

ship. He shall, imder the direction of the President, or either 
of the Vice Presidents, give due notiee of the time and plaee 
of all meetings of the Directors and the Society, and shall attend 
the same. He shall keep fair and accurate records of all the 
proceedings and orders of the Directors and the Society ; and 
shall give notice to the several officers, and to the Executive 
and other Committees, of all votes, orders, resolves, and pro- 
ceedings of the Directors and the Society, affecting them, or 
appertaining to their respective duties. 

TREASUEER. 

XYII. The Treasurer shall collect and keep the funds and 
securities of the Society ; and so often as these funds shall 
amount to One Hundred dollars, they shall be deposited in 
some bank in the City of Brooklyn to the credit of " The Long 
Island Historical Society," and shall be drawn thence on the 
check of the Treasurer, for the purposes of the Society only. 
Out of these funds, he shall pay such sums oidy as may be 
ordered by the Board of Directors, or by the Executive Com- 
mittee out of appropriations made by the Board. He shall 
keep a true account of his receipts and payments ; and at each 
meeting of the (-onunittee, or of the Board, and at the An- 
nual Meeting of the Society, shall render the same, when the 
Executive Committee shall audit his accounts. 

XYIII. If from the report of the Treasurer there shall 
appear to be a balance against the Treasury, no appropriation 
of money shall be made for any ol)ject but the necessary cur- 
rent expenses of the Society, until such balance shall be paid- 

LIB K A R I AN. 

XIX. Th^e Librarian, in connection with the Executive Com- 
mittee, shall have the charge and superintendence of the Libra- 
ry, and the care and arrangement of the books, manuscripts, 
and other articles belonging to the Society. He shall cause to 
be prepared and kept, a proper catalogue and list of the same. 
He shall acknowledge the receipt of donations to the Society 



20 

ill liif^ departinuiit. lie shall expend in tlie purchase of books 
and other articles, and tor tlieir safe keei)inf]^ and preservation, 
at the direction of the said Conmiittee, such sums of money 
as shall from time to time 1)e a])])ropriated fjr that purpose, 
and report tliereon to the Executive (committee, and to the 
Board at eaeli of its Reirular Meetings. He sliall, at least once 
in each year, render his accounts for such purchases and ex- 
penditures to the Treasurer for settlement ; and shall further 
make to the Society, at each Annual Meeting, a full report 
on the condition and progress of the Library and collections. 

L I B K A K y KEG I L A T I O N S . 

XX. The followiniz: shall he the reorulations for the use of 
the Lil)rary : 

1. X(> ])ook ur manuscript shall at any time be lent to any 

person to be removed frr>m the Library. 

2. No manuscript in the Library, nor any paper read before 

the Society and deposited in its archives, shall be pu'o- 
lished, except by the order of the Directors, or with the 
consent of the Executive Committee. 

3. Tlie liours during which the Library shall be open, shall 

be determined from time to time by the Executive 
Committee. 

4. During such hours, any member of the Society may have 

free access to consult any book or manuscript, except 
such as may be designated by the Executive Connnit- 
tee, and to make extracts from the same under the au- 
thority of the Librarian. Any person, not a member, 
may obtain 'the like privilege of consultation from the 
President or Librarian, if known to them, or upon the 
reconunendation of some other member to whom the 
applicant is known. But no person, not a member, 
sliall he i)ermitted to make extracts from the manu- 
scripts of the Society, excei)ting the donors or depositors 
of the same, without special authority from the Execu- 
tive Committee. 



L>1 

5. It shall 1)0 the duty of the Libniriaii, or his Assistant, to 
report to the Executive Committee any iiijurv doin' to 
any book or manuscript by any person consultiiio- the 
same; and the said Committee may, at their discreti(>n, 
hxy such reports before the Board. For auv such in- 
jury, the person doins: it shall make such pecuniai-v 
compensation as the said Committee shall jud(re 
proper; and if he be not a member, the Committee 
shall have power to prohibit him from further access to 
the Library. 

EXECUTIVE O O M M I T TEE. 

XXI. It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee t<» 
solicit and receive donations for the Society ; to provide for its 
literary or other exercises ; to recommend plans, and make the 
necessary arragements, for promoting its objects ; to digest and 
prepare business ; to authorize the disbursement and ex])endi- 
ture of moneys in the Treasury, out of the general appropria- 
tions made by the Board of Directors, for the payment of sala- 
ries, current expenses, fitting up the Lil)rary, the ordinary 
purchase of -books, binding, printing, and other necessary out- 
lavs. They shall have power to appoint a Janitor and Porter, 
and to prescribe their duties, and fix their salaries. They 
shall, in connection with the Librarian, have charge of the ar- 
rangement and regulation of the Library and collections; and 
shall have authority at any time to examine into the condition 
of the same, and into the state of the finances ; as also gener- 
ally to superintend' the interests of the Society, and execute 
all such duties as may from time to time be committed to them 
l)y the Board. 

They shall meet at least once in every month, excepting the 
month of August, and shall keep accurate Minutes of all their 
transactions; and a full Eeport shall be presented by them, at 
each Eegular Meeting of the Board of Directors, of what has 
l)een done by them, or by the Librarian and Treasurer, at their 
direction, in the interval between that and the preceding Begu- 
lar Meeting. 



s>o 



COMMinKK.OX FIN?: ARTS. 



XXII. The Coininittee on Fine Arts shall have the arrange- 
ment and general direction of the Society's Gallery of Art. 
They shall decide npon the admission into the Gallery of ob- 
jects of art, and determine their position therein. They shall, 
subject to the a])proval of the Board, make such special rules 
and regulations in regard to the Gallery, as they may think 
necessary for its preservation, proper use, and enjoyment ; and 
shall devise and present plans for its extension and improve- 
ment. 

ALTERATION OF BY-LAWS. 

XXIII. No alteration in the By-Laws of the Society shall 
be made, unless such alteration shall have been opeidy pro- 
posed at a i)revious meeting of the Directors, entered on the 
minutes, with tlie name of the Director proposing the same, 
and shall he ad()i)ted by a majority of the members of the 
Board. And in case of such proposed amendment, the He- 
cording Secretary shall be required to accompany the notice 
f )r the next meeting of the Board with a copy of tlie proposed 
amendment, and a notice that the same will be acted upon at 
the meeting for which the notice was given. 

AMF.ISTDMENT 

Proposed at Annual Meeting of the Society, May 5, 1864, and referred 
to and adopted by the Board of Directors, May 12, 1864. 

Art. IV.— Strike out the word "Three" in second, and third line, and 
insert, in lieu thereof, the word "Five." Strike out the AV(n-ds "Twenty- 
five," in fourth line, and insert, in lieu thereof, the words " Forty-Five." 



AMENDMENT 

Adopted by the Board of Directors, April 28, 1864. 

Art. VIII.— There shall also he eighteen Counsellors, who shall be elected 
by the S )ciety annually ; six of whom shall be residents of Kings County, 
six of Queens County, six of Suffolk County. 

It shall be the duty of the Counsellors to consult and advise with the 
Society, with the Directors, and with the Executive Committee, as to the 
best means of ])romoting the objects of the Society ; and for that purpose 
they 7uay attend the meetings of the Directors, and of the Executive Com- 
mittee, and take jiart in thrir Discussions, but shall not be entitled to vote. 

The Counsellors shall also be, ex-officio, members of the Committee on Fine 
Arts. t ^'^ 



i|f-yWS 



BOARD OF DIRECTORS 



I. The Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors shall he 
held on the second Thursday of May, September, and Janu- 
ary, and the last Thursday of April, in each year, at 8 o'clock 
P. M. Special Meetings may also be called at any time, by 
the Executive Committee, or by five members of the Board, 
on giving written notice of the same to each Director three 
days previously. 

II. The Executive Committee shall audit all bills and claims 
before the same shall be paid by the Treasurer. 

III. The Order of Business, at the Regular and Special 
Meetings of the Board, shall be as follows : 

1. The reading of the Minutes of the last Meeting. 

2. Report of the Executive Committee. 

3. Reports of the Treasurer and Librarian. 

4. Reports of Special or other Committees. 

5. Appropriations for objects of the Society. 

6. Miscellaneous Business. 

lY. These By-Laws may be amended in the same manner 
as the By-Laws of the Society (Art. 23) ; or may be tempora- 
rily suspended, by unanimous consent, but not otherwise. 



^-^^w 10, :3Ga 




014 114 678 6 



